In the air

Amazon takes its drone delivery research to Canada.

This month closed with a positive announcement from European stakeholders as they agreed on the basic principles for a regulatory framework on RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) use. The focus of the new framework is on safety, integration and liability, and could govern RPAS operations in Europe from 2016.

On the road

Delphi goes on a cross country road test.

Last month saw Uber joining forces with Carnegie Mellon University, possibly to compete with Google in the race to get the first robotaxis on the road. But can a robotaxi business model work? Brad Templeton did the number crunching for us this month and found that an UberX flag drop now costs as little as $0.18 per minute / $0.90 per mile. This could mean that we will soon start seeing people deliberately dropping cars for Uber, and that robotaxi services could be available for even less.

But it could be that the first robotaxi on the road will be from neither Uber or Google, but from Nissan. Documents obtained by IEEE Spectrum show that the car manufacturer is working with NASA, and they are aiming to have the first fleet of robotaxis ready in as little as two years from now.

With robocars and robotaxi services no longer just an idea for the distant future, it is no surprise that some have started to call for regulations to be put in place. Questions about safety features, possible certification of robocars, or even special drivers licenses for operating autonomous cars have been raised. But in an essay about regulating autonomous cars, Brad Templeton argues that it might be too early for such strict rules to be put in place, as too little is known at this point about the technology and how it will work in the real world.

On the job front

The impact of automation on jobs was the topic of the opening session at this year’s European Robotic Forum. Credits: Viennamotion KG.

With increasing investment and big names pushing forward innovation in automation, it is no wonder that critics are voicing concerns, fearing the loss of many jobs and mass unemployment. Neil Jacobstein explains the risks of automation and artificial intelligence on Sigularityhub.com, but maintains an overall positive outlook if humans manage to adapt.

In Russia

The Skolkovo International Robotics Conference took place this March, to promote innovation and robotics startups in Russia. Credit: sk.ru

Kalashnikov Concern – maker of the infamous AK-47 automatic assault rifle – has decided to purchase a majority stake (51%) in ZALA Aero, a Russian company that specializes in producing unmanned aircraft. The company hopes to enter the robotics market by producing reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles.

But robotic arms don’t all have to be about manufacturing, as was amply demonstrated at London’s Wearable Tech Show this month. At the event, Grace Mandeville presented Open Bionics new 3D printed Swarovski-crystal-adorned prosthetic arm, demonstrating that prosthetics can be about glamour just as much as they are about functionality.

People with disabilities are no longer waiting for health services to catch up – they are dragging their medical devices into the future on their own.

On the red carpet

Alex Garland’s first feature film as a director, Ex Machina, had its US debut at SxSW on March 14.

Two much anticipated robot movies hit the big screens this March. Neill Blomkamp’s CHAPPiE is an action packed movie about a robot that learns to think and feel for himself, while Alex Garland’s Ex Machina is a beautifully framed film about human-AI-interaction.